The Most Eccentric Hotels in Nice 2024
Quirky hotels in Nice France for a stay you will never forget…
Le Negresco
Le Negresco Its elegant pink dome is the most emblematic of hotels in Nice, but inside, past the top-hat-and-tights-wearing doormen, the Negresco is an amusing mix of elegance and quirky kitsch, all lovingly curated by its eccentric owner, Jeanne Augier, who lived alone in the dome with her Sharpei and Yorkshire Terrier, until her death a few years ago at the ripe old age of 95. Her will specified that the hotel is never to fall into corporate hands, so it is destined to remain independent and gloriously quirky into perpetuity, with proceeds going to animal charities.
It’s a 5-star hotel of contradictions: Priceless antiques are side-by-side with sometimes atrocious examples of modern art. The best restaurant in town (the only Michelin two-starred restaurant in Nice) is next to a gold carousel-themed café, which, up until 2019, featured pink-painted horses that bobbed up and down while you ate.
Just off the lobby, the magnificent open round ballroom features a glass ceiling designed by Gustave Eiffel and an enormous hand-cut Baccarat crystal chandelier made for a Russian Tsar, all complemented by …a giant pop-art sculpture of a large woman with a tiny head, spinning on a pedestal.
Most of the rooms have been renovated and updated, but some of the older rooms are still a cacophony of conflicting motifs and periods, with animal prints fighting the floral wallpaper to the death for dominance. Some combine gorgeous antique plumbing fixtures… attached to ’50’s style glitter sinks and toilet seats. And the hallways and landings are… African themed. Of course.
Personal side note: The Negresco is where I spent the first night of my honeymoon, which was also my first night in France… and to say the least, it made quite an impression!
In short, Le Negresco is over-the-top and never boring. I encourage you to pop in and see this one-of-a-kind wonder, but as the doormen strictly turn away all looky-loos, know that the “open sesame” is heading straight to their magnificent Hemingway-esque bar (a treat in itself) and ordering an overpriced drink, and voila, you’re now a client of the hotel and entitled to a wander. A few things not to miss: The ballroom (obviously), the meeting room behind the concierge desk to see the giant original portrait of Louis XIV in ermine, high heels and tights (if it’s closed, ask the concierge if you can just peek in and see it); the art in the hallway leading to the restaurants), and be sure to visit the bathrooms. 37 Promenade des Anglais, tramstop Alsace-Lorraine
The Westminster Hotel and Spa
The Westminster Hotel and Spa, Just down the street, Nice’s other pink seaside hotel is the oldest hotel on the Promenade; it opened in 1880 and is still owned by the great grandchildren of the original builder. It took its name with permission from the British Royal Family, who wintered on the Cote d’Azur at the time. This 4-star hotel is notable for its stunning sea view but also for its magnificent Hall of Florentine Fresques, painted in 1904 and just recently restored. For those whom the Negresco is just a liiittle too quirky, its stately neighbor Westminster is a good alternative, and less expensive to boot. The Hotel Westminster also boasts the Best Spa in Nice. 27 Promenade des Anglais, tramstop Alsace-Lorraine or Massena.
Just Opened: Hotel du Couvent in Old Nice
The 5-star 88-room luxury Hotel du Couvent just opened, and what a surprise! The ancient Convent of the Visitation was a purposely stark abode for pious nuns in medieval times. The nuns are long gone and the convent has been boarded up for decades, but nevertheless the locals fought tooth-and-nail to stop this project, fearing that the introduction of an ostentatious rich-person’s resort would forever alter the authenticity of the old town.
After years of delays, it finally opened in June 2024, and to everyone’s surprise, the sprawling complex is so discrete that the entry is practically hidden! The hotel is remarkable for its fidelity to the history and architecture, but also for its resistance to the typical trappings of luxury hotels. It feels like a convent, a spiritual place, an oasis, like a meditation, as if you discovered a secret garden where you instantly feel the history in your bones. It’s rare to find a hotel with such a sense-of-place: the guestrooms are austere yet elegant, the spa evokes Roman baths, the terraced gardens beg to be strolled, the restaurants use antique linens and vintage glassware …and grow their own food! When you’re ready to venture out, go left out the front door to walk up to the Chateau; or head down the hill for the stimulation inherent to the old town. With its lack of sea-view and bells-and-whistles, this one-of-a-kind hotel will not be to everyone’s taste, which is what makes its restraint so laudable. What an impressive addition to Nice! 1 rue Honoré Ugo, at the top of rue Rossetti, but the pick up point is 1 rue Centrale, right across from the Cathedrale tramstop, which is where they’ll come get you in a golf cart if you have luggage.
The Windsor Jungle Art Hotel
The famous Ben room, #65
The Windsor Jungle Art Hotel The choice of lobby art is the first clue that this 4-star establishment is not like the others, but check-in to one of their Artist Rooms and you will have no doubt. Since 1989 the owners have given one artist a year carte blanche to transform one room into an oeuvre d’art. Of their 57 rooms, half are extravagant kitschy fresques and the other half are unique artistic expressions, as are the halls, stairs and even elevators. Choose to sleep in a golden cube, in a cartoon adventure, in a travel sketch book, or a fantasy garden.
The most popular room? The late, great Ben room #65, with every surface covered with his pithy scrawls, most starting with “I dreamed that…”
In addition, the hotel has a great secret garden, from whence the ‘Jungle’ in its name comes from. 11 rue Dalpozzo, tramstop Alsace-Lorraine
Hyatt Regency Palais de la Mediterranee
The Hyatt Regency Palais de la Mediterranee This seaside 5-star hotel may be modern, but the façade is the 1929 original, and the hotel comes with an unsolved murder mystery attached: the young hotel heiress Agnès Le Roux disappeared 30 years ago under very murky circumstances, and the police still dig up gardens in Nice from time to time, whenever they get a new tip.
The hotel has the most elegant pool terrace on the Riviera, set back just enough to make the cars on the Prom disappear, leaving only the blue sea framed with giant marble columns. The rooms are great, but unfortunately have no such sense-of-place: they could be in a ‘W’ Hotel anywhere in the world. 13 Promenade des Anglais, tramstop Massena
Just Opened in the Port: Mama Shelter Riquier
Just opened in the Nice Port: Mama Shelter! One of the most playful, eccentric, and cutting-edge hotel chains just landed loudly in Nice, with a 4-star hotel that riffs wildly on Matisse. Irreverent and innovative, over-stimulating and kitschy, Mama Shelter blends comfort, humor, playful surprise, and state-of-the-art tech, for a big, bold feast for the senses that you won’t soon forget. 21 boulevard de Riquier, cross street rue Beaumont. Tram stop Port Lympia
See Related Pages:
Back up to Main Hotel/SLEEP Page
Photo Credits: Negresco entry, Negresco Dome, Negresco Ballroom and Hotel Westminster Fresques all by Best of Nice.